Jono Smart and Emily Stephen are craftspeople who collaborate to produce ceramics and woodwork. Emily, originally from St Andrew’s, previously followed a career in architecture designing simple timber buildings that sat quietly in their landscape. Jono worked in landscaping in London, working with trees, hedges, water, stone and flowers when designing gardens. The couple met in Glasgow and ran their studio from the top floor of a converted Victorian school in East Glasgow for a number of years before relocating to rural Angus, where they converted an old farmhouse into their home and studio.
“Not only do we work together but we also live, eat and travel together. Everything you see coming out of the studio is the result of our collaboration. We are constantly talking about and designing new work together and we believe our work is improved through our collaboration. There is a natural harmony between clay and wood, between the tree and the ground it grew from.”
Their work is generally considered minimal and functional, with a focus on showcasing the nature materials. It becomes available for purchase 3-4 times each year through their website, and it usually sells out within an hour.
“We’re potters rather than ceramic artists. We don’t create huge one-off pieces to sit on a mantlepiece or an art gallery. We’re trying to make products that sit around the table for daily use.”
—Jono Smart
